It's Summer Time - Let's Barbecue!!

Yep, it's that time of year when most people think of cookouts and barbecue. I saw a statistic recently that 71% of all households have some type of grill to prepare barbecue, and half of those use their grills all year long. We don't do it as much, but then we have been working hard at cutting down on our meat consumption anyway. Still, 'tis the season, so here I re-post my most favorite sauce of all - Mutha Sauce. It beats that stuff in the glass (or plastic) jars everyday, and twice on Sunday!

"Mutha" Sauce

This sauce requires a lot of ingredients and can be served chunky style or you can puree it and make it smooth should you desire, but it just might be the only BBQ sauce that you will use this summer! It will make about six or seven cups. It is rich! You can reduce or eliminate the oil if you are looking to reduce your fat intake (I usually cut the oil back to a tablespoon).

1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup minced onion
1/2 cup minced green pepper
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
pinch kosher salt
2 tbsp minced garlic
1 can (28 oz.) tomato sauce
2 cups ketchup
1 cup water
3/4 cup worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup cayenne pepper or Tabasco sauce
1/4 cup spicy brown mustard
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 tbsp chili powder
2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1 tbsp Liquid Smoke

In a large saucepan, pour in the oil. Set over medium high heat. Toss in the onions, green peppers and jalapeno and give them a stir. Season with a pinch of salt and cook until soft, but do not burn. Add the garlic and cook one minute.

Add the rest of the ingredients EXCEPT the Liquid Smoke. Bring to a boil, then lower heat so the sauce simmers. Simmer for 10 minutes. Swirl in the Liquid Smoke and let the sauce cool. It will be chunky at this point. If you desire a smooth sauce, run the sauce in batches through a blender. Pour into glass Mason jars or other glass container and cover tightly. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use. Makes 6-7 cups of excellent sauce. It also makes great gifts and will keep for weeks!

Shrimp In Paper

Yesterday I was looking for something to do with some shrimp that we had in the freezer for quite some time and remembered a recipe that I saw on Emeril Lagasse's new Fresh Food Fast television show a few weeks ago. It uses simple ingredients and we always have these things on hand in the vegetable crisper and in pantry, so the decision was easy. It’s easy, Asian inspired and goes great with a nice, light rice pilaf and a crisp white wine. It turned out great!

Ingredients (per serving)

1 tsp canola oil

1 cup broccoli florets

1 cup julienned carrots

1 small shallot, peeled and chopped

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tbsp soy sauce

freshly ground black pepper

6 (16 to 20 count) shrimp, shelled, deveined

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F

Brush an 18 inch long sheet of parchment paper with the canola oil. Working on half the the paper, layer the broccoli, carrots, shallots and the the shrimp on the paper and drizzle with the sou sauce, sesame oil and pepper. Fold the parchment paper over until the ends meet and then fold the edges together repeatedly, 4 or 5 times, creasing it with each fold to make an airtight seal.

Place the pouch on a baking sheet and place on the center rack of ghe oven for 12 to 15 minutes, until the pouches (if multiple servings prepared) are puffed up. Remove from the pan and open carefully. There were will a considerable amount of hot steam escaping. Serve immediately.

Great Fried Chicken Recipe

Fried chicken is an all-time favorite of American cuisine and a staple of Southern cooking. Naturally it’s not diet food by its very nature, but if you can relegate a meal like this to special occasion dining only, than no harm, no foul (or should I say fowl?)

We have prepared fried chicken many times many times for our family, with varying degrees of success. Some of the batters have been good, some dry and some flavorless. So, as part of our never ending hunt for improved cooking experiences, we have looked all over for good fried chicken recipes and happened to stumble upon this one day on America’s Test Kitchen, a PBS cooking show. Yeah, it’s rich, but oh it's a keeper for us!

Here is the recipe as presented on the show, an episode entitled Southern Fare Revisited and on the show website:

A whole 4-pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces, can be used instead of chicken parts. Skinless chicken pieces are also an acceptable substitute, but the meat will come out slightly drier. A Dutch oven with a 11 inch diameter can be used in place of the straight-sided sauté frier.

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups buttermilk
Table salt
Dash hot sauce
3 teaspoons of ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 1/2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken parts (breasts, thighs, drumsticks, wings or a mix, with breasts cut in half), trimmed off excess fat
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 3/4 cups vegetable oil

Instructions

1. Whisk 1 cup of buttermilk, teaspoon of salt, hot sauce, t teaspoon of black pepper. ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon paprika, and a pinch of cayenne in a large bowl. Add the chicken and turn to coat. Refrigerate, covered, at least 1 hour up to overnight.

2. Adjust oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 400 degrees. Whisk flour, baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, remaining 2 teaspoons of black pepper, ¾ teaspoon of paprika, and remaining cayenne together in a large bowl. Add the remaining ¼ cup of buttermilk to the flour mixture and combine with fingers until small clumps form. Working with 1 piece at a time, dredge the chicken pieces in the flour mixture, pressing the mixture onto the chicken to form a thick, even coating. Place the dredged chicken on a large plate, skin side up.

3. Heat oil in an 11-inch diameter straight-sided sauté pan over medium heat to 375 degrees. Carefully place chicken pieces in the pan, skin side down, and cook until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Carefully flip the chicken and continue to cook the other side until golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet. Bake chicken until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken reads 160 degrees for breasts and 175 degrees for legs and thighs, 15 to 20 minutes. Smaller pieces may cook faster than larger pieces, so remove them from the rack as they reach the correct temperature. Let the chicken rest 5 minutes before serving.

Another Dinner Riff

Now that Christmas is over and we have eaten enough leftovers I was a bit concerned tonight about what we should make for dinner. After all you can only have leftovers so many days and, ugh! Well you understand.

Looking through our fridge and pantry I discovered some uncooked chicken tenders in the freezer, so I thought a little bit on it and came up with this variation on Spanish Rice (yes we keep a lot of these spices around):

Ingredients

1 lb of chicken tender, cut into 1 inch cubes and seasoned with salt and pepper
2 tbsp olive oil, divided
1/2 green pepper, chopped fine
]/2 red pepper, chopped fine
1/2 small yellow onion, chopped fine
2 cloves garlic, chopped fine
3 or 4 sprigs chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup uncooked white rice
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup medium hot salsa
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Heat 1 tbsp of the oil over medium heat in a large pan and add the rice, cooking until it begins to brown. Remove from the pan and set aside on a plate covered with a paper towel to drain. Add the cut chicken and cook until no longer pink, but do not over cook. Set this on the plate with the draining rice.

Add the remaining oil to the pan and saute the vegetables until the onions are clear, then add back the rice and chicken to the pan. Season this mixture with the salsa, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Pour in the chicken stock, turn down the heat, cover and reduce until the stock is nearly absorbed. At the end toss in the cilantro.

The prep time is about 20 minutes and cooking will take 30 minutes. We served it with a crusty bread. I imagine it would work great with cold beer. We had none, so we settled for a glass of red wine.

Riffing On Dinner Tonight!

This afternoon I surveyed my freezer thinking about tonight’s dinner and found a single round steak, usually an unappealing, tough but lean inexpensive cut of beef. I also found one large Russet potato. How to pump this up and make this stretch into a meal for three adults?

I’ve done pepper steak many times before but wasn’t always thrilled by how it turned out; usually tough and bland tasting. I needed to do something different with this or it was going to be another Subway night. Now that’s not a bad thing but I like to cook and love challenges, so it was on!

First, while the steak thawed in the sink I peeled the potato, and dropped that into some boiling water. Next, while the potato softened, I assembled my ingredients:

A cored and roughly chopped green pepper and red pepper, or whatever you have on hand in the crisper

1 yellow onion, chopped about the same size as the peppers

1 cup chopped parsley (use dried if you have none on hand fresh)

3 tbsps. olive oil, divided

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 cup beef broth (bouillon is fine)

1 cup red wine

1/2 cup bourbon

1 tbsp flour

salt and pepper

dry spices, including Montreal Steak Seasoning, rosemary, thyme and tarragon

DIRECTIONS

Remove the potato from the boiling water and set aside. While this is cooling preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Slice the meat against the grain on the bias thinly. Place the sliced beef in a large bowl and season with the Worcestershire sauce, Montreal Steak Seasoning, salt, pepper and dried tarragon leaves. Dust with flour and mix thoroughly, setting aside to marinate a few minutes.

Saute the vegetables in a tbsp of oil over medium heat in a large pan until the onions are clear. In this stage I like to add another layer of seasoning by sprinkling a pinch of salt and pepper on the vegetables while they cook. Remove the cooked vegetables. Add the remaining oil and drop in the sliced beef, browning on all sides. Return the sauteed vegetables to the pan and pour in the broth, wine and bourbon. Reduce heat and cover, allowing to simmer about 30 minutes. The last five minutes of simmering mix in the chopped fresh parsley.

While the beef is simmering cut the cooled potato into medium squares and put in a gallon plastic storage bag. Pour in a tablespoon of the oil, salt, pepper, rosemary and thyme. Shake to mix and spread out onto a baking sheet covered in foil. I spray the foil with oil to make sure the potato will not stick. Place the sheet in the preheated oven and roast until the potatoes are golden brown, about 30 minutes. You may want to turn the potatoes over about half way through to ensure browning on both sides.

This dish goes well with a green vegetable or a salad and a glass of Merlot. It was awesome tonight, tender and flavorful, perfectly balanced by the creamy roasted potatoes!

Buttered Egg Noodles

So many times, when we prepare a meat dish we find ourselves at a loss for a good side dish - and we turned to those over-salted boxed messes that, while quick to prepare, are not all that great tasting. The long list of chemicals added to that white packet inside - AKA Mystery Envelope - makes a bad situation worse!

From time to time I have eschewed such gastronomic platitudes for something better. We have tried making our own buttered egg noodles, with limited success, until we came upon this gem from a contributor to the FoodTV website, David Ball. It's tweeked here a bit to make it a little less fat-laden (the original recipe called for a stick of butter, plus a finishing pat. I kept the finishing pat in).

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups of water
8 oz. dried egg noodles
2 chicken bouillon cubes (I use a tsp of Better Than Bouillon)
1/4 stick of unsalted butter plus 1 pat)
1 tbsp of dried parsley or 1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
dash of salt and fresh cracked pepper

Directions

Bring the water, bouillon, salt, pepper and butter to boil over medium heat. Add the egg noodles and stir. Allow the liquid to reduce but do not dry out. Remove from heat and melt the pat of butter in the noodles. Stir in the parsley and serve immediately with your beef, pork or poultry entree and a fresh salad.

Holiday Turkey Stuffing

This is a decadent but delicious stuffing that we have used many times, including last week's Thanksgiving meal. It can be roasted inside the bird, or as we do, baked in a large side pan to be served with the turkey. The recipe that I describe here is for the side pan. The portions that I give will stuff of a 14-18 pound turkey. This recipe is adapted from television chef Vince Scalese.

Ingredients

2 boxes Stove Top Chicken Herb Stuffing
1 box Pepperidge Farm Herb Stuffing

1 10 oz. package chopped frozen spinach, unthawed
3 cans low sodium chicken broth, low sodium
1 lb. hot Italian sausage
1 cube butter
1-1/2 cups Parmesan cheese
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
6 green onions
2 yellow onions
1 cup cooked brown rice
1 cup cooked wild rice

Directions

Chop all vegetables fine and mix in with the stuffing and Parmesan cheese. Press the water out of the spinach and saute in a medium sauce pan with the butter. Add the broth and heat through. While spinach mixture is heating remove the casing from the sausage and brown in a large skillet. To save on the fat you may drain this, but the original recipe called for the sausage and drippings to be used! That's your call. We strain off the excess oil.

Pour the broth and spinach mixture into the stuffing mix, then add the cooked sausage. Mix all of this thoroughly. If you prefer to stuff and bake your bird at this point the mixture will be wet and easy to spoon in. We butter a separate large Pyrex baking tray and pour our stuffing into tray, spreading it out evenly. We bake it uncovered in the oven at 350 degrees on a rack over the turkey that has been roasting at least an hour and a half prior. It will take only an hour for the stuffing to bake. If your turkey still requires more roasting time you can pull out the tray and cover it with foil until the turkey is done.

Serve on the side with cranberry sauce and a drizzle of that great turkey gravy you've made from the turkey drippings!

The Best Meals

It's my contention that the best tasting meals are often the unplanned ones - those made up from scratch at the last minute, like tonight's meal for example. I came home today and found no meat thawing in the fridge. But I did find a package of fully cooked chicken sausage and some shaved Asiago cheese. With the fresh vegetables such as green and red peppers, garlic, onions, and the like that we always have on hand, this was a snap to put together with our dry and canned goods cupboard. Use what peppers you have handy:

Ingredients

1 pkg rotini or bowtie pasta
4 links Italian style sausage, sliced thin
1 green pepper, sliced
1 red pepper, sliced
1 yellow pepper, sliced
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
1/2 yellow onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup grated or shredded cheese, Parmesan, Asiago or other Italian style
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp dried basil
Dash red pepper flakes

Directions

In a large pot bring 8 cups of salted water to a boil and cook pasta to al dente, drain and set aside. Retain some of the pasta water in the pan to keep it from sticking together. While pasta is cooking heat oil in a large covered skillet and toss in all of the vegetable except the garlic. Saute until the onions are clear and add the garlic and the dried spices. Continue cooking for another minute and add the sausage, heating through. Finally pour in the tomatoes and the drained pasta, tossing the mixture to coat thoroughly. You may sprinkle on the cheeses here or wait until plating.

Cover the pan and heat until liquids have been absorbed. Plate and top with more cheese and serve with crusty white bread and a full-bodied red wine.

Smoking a Brisket on a Gas Grill

The summer's almost over for me but there are still a few days left to get out in my back yard and do some grilling and smoking. I love a good Texas brisket that has been well-smoked; it is lean, tender and quite juicey.

It is also a tough piece of meat if not properly prepared and let's face it; many of us have gas grills only. Also, if you live in an apartment complex there may be rules prohibiting the burning of charcoal grills. But you can get great smoke results on a gas grill if you take the right steps in your preparation.

I'm using several sources, including old rub recipes we have accumulated, and material from Steven Raichlen's book, How to Grill. It's an excellent manual for grillers, with lots of pictures, and simple instructions. It's also quite massive at nearly 500 pages. Here we go!

Dry Rub

3 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp coarse salt
2 tbsp black pepper
11/2 tsp brown sugar
11/2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp cayenne pepper

Optional Marinade

½ cup red wine
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp chopped garlic
2 tbsp spicy mustard
2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper

Mop Sauce

1 cup white vinegar
1 cup beer
1 cup bourbon
1/2 cup molasses
1 tbsp garlic salt
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp black pepper

Meat Preparation

Apply dry-rub seasoning to the meat the night before cooking and allow it to sit, draped in plastic wrap, in the refrigerator overnight. This allows the seasonings to absorb into the meat and cure it. If you are using the marinade instead, use a turkey roaster bag and pour the marinade over the meat in the bag, sealing and refrigerating overnight.

With an especially large brisket I have actually applied dry rub and used the wet marinade together to make sure the meat has a chance to thoroughly tenderize before the smoking process begins and guaranteeing a succulent brisket!

Grill Preparation

Fill a large bowl or gallon bucket with wood chips of your choice (I like applewood or hickory) and cover with water, allowing the chips to soak for at least an hour prior to cooking time.

Ignite the gas burner on one side of the grill, leaving all other burners off. Turn the dial of the lit burner to the highest heat setting.

Place a handful or two of the saturated wood chips inside a smoker box or in the center of a large aluminum foil sheet. If using foil, fold it over the wood chips several times to fashion a foil pouch and create a dozen or so vent holes in the pouch with a fork.

Place the smoker box or foil pouch on the lit burner side over direct heat, close the grill lid and allow the wood smoke.

The Smoking Process

When the wood is smoking place the cured meat on the cooking grate above the unlit side of the grill and close the lid.

Turn down the burner dial so that the cooking temperature drops to between 200 and 250 degrees F.

Check the hardwood smoker box or foil pouch every hour to ensure smoke continues to flow. If smoking ceases, add more wet chips to the smoker box or add a new foil wood-chip pouch. While you are adding more wood chips you will want to baste the meat with the mop while you have the lid up. For added moisture I place a foil tray of water, some of the spices I used in the rub and a cup of beer or wine on the rack above the meat. That is replenished with water every time the lid is up for basting and checks on the wood.

Smoke most large briskets 4-5 hours or until the meat has an internal temperature of 190 degrees for medium well done.

Shrimp Pasta with Feta Cheese

Okay I am going to riff on this recipe because, hey it's sort of my nature! Seriously this very easy dish is a take-off of many other types of shrimp and pasta dishes. Here's what I use:

1 lb of shelled, deveined shrimp.
1 lb angel hair pasta, cooked
2 tomatoes, quartered
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 sprigs fresh basil or 1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 tbsps olive oil, seperated
1 6 oz packages crumbled feta cheese
salt and pepper to taste
Red pepper flakes (optional for heat)

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil and add pasta, cooking for 8-10 minutes until al dente and then drain.

While pasta is cooking heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and cook over medium heat the shrimp with the garlic and the white wine until shrimp is pink. Remove with a slotted spoon and set the shrimp aside.

Add the remaining oil to the pan and cook the tomatoes, basil and oregano with the white wine mixture until tender, about 10 minutes. At the end add the cooked shrimp and season with salt and black pepper to taste. If you want heat add the red pepper flakes too.

Pour this mixture over the cooked pasta, add the feta cheese and lightly toss. Serve with a green salad, crusty Italian bread and a white wine.

Stuffed Italian Sausage Focaccia

I've posted a previous Italian bread recipe on this page which I use all the time. I saw this online today and tried to link to Facebook but something was lost in the translation. So here is the recipe as it appears on the site below. I'm going to try this one very soon!


Source: http://www.food52.com/recipes/5579_sausage_herb_and_cheese_stuffed_focaccia_bread

Makes 1 focaccia bread

Dough:

3 1/2 cups All purpose flour (can also be whole wheat)
2 teaspoons instant yeast
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
1 1/4 cup water

Filling and Topping:

1 cup Feta Cheese
1 cup Mozzarella Cheese
1/2 cup Fresh Basil Leaves
1/4 teaspoon Sea Salt
1-2 teaspoon Fresh Rosemary
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
1/2 pound Sausage, cooked and crumbled

Mix together all of the dough ingredients in a medium-sized bowl, then knead --using your hands, a mixer, a food processor or a bread machine -- to form a smooth dough.

Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover, and allow it to rise for 1 1/2 hours, or until it's doubled in bulk.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured or lightly greased work surface, knead it gently, then divide it in half. Round each half into a loose ball, and allow the balls to rest, covered, for 10 to 15 minutes. This allows the gluten in the dough to relax, making the focaccia easier to shape.

Roll one ball into a 10- to 12-inch circle. Place it on a lightly oiled baking sheet or pizza pan (or onto a peel dusted with cornmeal if you'll be baking the focaccia on an oven stone). Top the shaped round with the filling ingredients, spreading them evenly over the surface, and leaving about 1 inch crust bare around the edges. Roll the second half of dough into an equal-sized circle, then place it atop the filling. Press the edges of the dough together firmly to seal the two circles.

Cover the focaccia with a damp cloth, lightly greased plastic wrap or a proof cover. Preheat your oven to 425°F. Allow the focaccia to rise for 45 minutes, or until it's noticeably puffy. Just before placing it in the oven, dimple it (poke gentle indentations into it) with your fingers, brush it with 1 tablespoon olive oil, and sprinkle it with coarse salt and rosemary. Bake the focaccia for 30 to 35 minutes at 350.

Another Cooked Chicken Recipe

So....I had this smoked chicken from the BBQ demonstration I went to on Saturday and I thought on what to do with it today. Finally I came up with this idea:

Total Time: about 40 minutes
Ingredients:

1 cup long-grain rice, uncooked
1 cup sliced celery
1 (10oz) package frozen mixed, about 1 1/2 cups
2 cups water
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons butter
1 to 1 1/2 cups cooked diced chicken
2 tablespoons flour
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2/3 cup milk (2% is fine)
1 cup shredded mild Cheddar or American cheese
1 tablespoon chopped green onion for garniah


Preparation:
In a medium saucepan, combine rice, celery, water and 1 teaspoon salt. Heat to boiling. Cover and simmer for about 8 minutes; add peas and cook an additional 8 to 10 minutes, or until rice is tender and water is absorbed.

Melt butter in a medium saucepan or skillet. stir in flour, pepper, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, just until bubbling. Add cooked chicken. Stir in milk and 1 1/3 cups water. Continue cooking and stirring until sauce thickens and gently boils for about 1 minute. Pour sauce over the chicken rice mixture; transfer to shallow buttered 2-quart baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese; bake chicken rice recipe at 375° for 20 minutes. Garnish with green onion and serve with a white wine.

This dish is awesome and very easy to prepare, with minimal prep or stress.

Chicken rice bake serves 4.

White Sangria

Okay, so you are not fond of red wine but can do white wine. I got it! There is a variation of the Sangria recipe that I posted yesterday that is just as awesome. Try this:

INGREDIENTS

2 bottles semi-dry white wine
1 cup vodka
1/4 c white sugar
2 rip plums, cut into 1/4" wedges
1 Gala apple, cored and cut into 1/4" wedges
1 orange, sliced into 1/4" wedges
11/2 cup raspberries (frozen is fine)

Wash and slice the fruit. In a pitcher pour in the wine, vodka and sugar, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the fruit and stir again. Cover the pitcher and chill for one to two hours before serving.

Pour the Sangria over ice in a glass and enjoy! Bw3 sure to have plenty of the fruit in your glass.

Awesome Tomato Relish Meatloaf

How many times have you made meatloaf that was so promising when you started but ended up greasy, crumbly or dry? We suffered that fate so many times that we had just about give up on it, until we saw this recipe on a TV show somewhere and copied it down. The key to less greasy meatloaf is combining lean ground beef with lean ground pork. That will provide great flavor without the fat.

Ingredients

Tomato relish:

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 bay leaves
1 onion, diced
2 red bell peppers, seeded and chopped
2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
12 ounces bottled ketchup
1 1/2 pounds lean (90% or higher) ground beef
1 pound lean ground pork
3 eggs
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

For the tomato relish, coat a skillet with olive oil and place over medium heat. Saute the garlic, bay leaves, and onion together until they caramelize. Add the red peppers and cook until soft. Add the tomatoes, parsley and Worcestershire sauce, cook for 10 minutes until the vegetables cook down. Stir in the ketchup and continue to cook until heated through, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef and pork together with your hands. Fold in 1/2 cup of the tomato relish. Add the eggs and thyme and mix with both hands just until blended. Do not over mix or the meat loaf will become dense and tough. Season with salt and pepper. Coat a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray. Fill the loaf pan with the meat mixture, mounding it a bit on top. Generously spoon some tomato relish on the surface. When cooked, this will form a top crust. Place the loaf pan on a cookie sheet and bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until the meat loaf has pulled away from the sides of the pan. Remove from pan, allow to cool slightly before cutting into slices. Serve with remaining sauce on the side.

Wowza Sangria!

On warm summer weekend evenings I enjoy occasionally sipping on a good Sangria. There are some bottled products that you can buy, but those never really caught my fancy. A friend shared a great recipe with us several years ago that I am recreating here. It's easy to make and delicious!

4 cups semi-dry red wine, about one 750ml bottle
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup sugar (more if you like sweeter Sangria)
1/4 cup brandy
1/2 orange, cut into thin rounds
1/2 lemon, cut into thin rounds
1 apple, cored and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1 pear, cored and cut into 1/2-inch chunks

In a large pot or bowl combine the wine, orange juice, brandy and sugar. Stir until the sugar dissolves.

Cover and chill 3 to 24 hours.

Pour chilled Sangria in a glass pitcher and add the fruit. Serve in tall glasses over ice.

This will make 8-10 servings.

Roast Chicken Breast Italian

I had a breast of roasted supermarket chicken that was leftover in the fridge the other day and some Italian bread on the counter that nobody was eating. I really detest wasting food, so I did some thinking and came up with this dish. The beauty of it is that it uses things that are on hand (or at least should be!).


1-2 cups cooked, chopped roasted chicken
4-5 cups Italian bread, cubed
¼ cup olive oil, plus 1 tbsp olive oil divided
1/3 cup creamy Italian dressing
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes, with juice
½ cup chicken stock, low sodium
1 cup chopped, diced onion
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 cup chopped, diced red bell pepper
1 cup cubed mozzarella or provolone cheese (slices if you don’t have cheese blocks)
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
Dash salt and fresh cracked black pepper

Add the dry spices to a large bowl and pour in the ¼ cup of olive oil. Mix thoroughly and add the bread cubes, tossing gently to coat. Spread the crumbs out on a large baking sheet and bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes, or until the bread is crispy and lightly browned. Removed and let cool.

In a large sauté pan heat a tbsp of oil over medium heat and add the onions and bell pepper. When the onions are soft add the garlic and cook for another minute. Now add the chopped chicken, tomatoes and stock. You may want to re-season with salt and pepper at this point. Reduce the liquid slightly but don’t evaporate, about 10 minutes.

While the chicken and vegetables are heating spread the bread cubes in a large 13” X 9” baking dish and top evenly with the cheese cubes. Pour the chicken and tomatoes over this and drizzle with the salad dressing. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over the dish and bake in the 350 degree oven for 30-40 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly. Remove and serve immediately.

** Note if you are on a low fat diet you can substitute a little chicken stock for the olive oil to coat the bread cubes but take care not to make the bread soggy. You can also buy seasoned bread cubes to cut out baking the bread altogether. Lots of ways to go with this one!

Chicago-Style Italian Beef Sandwiches with Optional Giardiniera

Chicago has a unique beef sandwich that is sold at several local restaurants, including the famous Al's on the near west side of town. There are variations, but I found this recipe that I think is fairly close. There are a lot of ingredients and several steps involved, but the results are worth it. We have made this several times and really love it. The meat needs to be sliced very thin; if you have a meat slicer or electric carving knife that will do the job!



1 4-lb sirloin tip round

salt and pepper to taste

1-1/2 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried thyme

3 tbsp olive oil

6 cloves garlic

2 large red bell peppers, cored and sliced into 1-inch strips

2 large green bell peppers, cored and cut into 1-inch strips

2 medium yellow onions, sliced

2 cups low sodium beef stock

1-1/2 cup low sodium chicken stock

1/2 cup dry white wine

2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

salt and pepper to taste

4-6 individual Italian poor boy rolls, sliced length wise but not cut all the way through



Season the meat with salt, pepper, oregano and thyme. Place on a rack in a roasting pan in a preheated 375 degree oven for about 2 hours, or until the meat is 130 degrees in the center. Remove and allow to cool. Deglaze the roasting pan with a little water and pour the juices in a 6-qt pot.



Slice the cooled meat very thinly across the grain and set aside. Heat a large nonstick frying pan and add the oil, garlic, red and green peppers and onions. Saute for 5 minutes and add to the pot. You might have to do this in batches.



Place the sliced meat and any meat juices that may have accumulated during cooling into the pot with the sauteed vegetables. Add the beef stock, chicken stock, wine and parsley, and season with salt and pepper. Cover tightly and simmer gently for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring the pot a couple of times while cooking.



Turn off the heat and allow the pot to rest 15 minutes, covered. Dip each roll in the broth until it is saturated and heavy. Fill the roll with plenty of simmered beef and vegetables. For optional heat, add a spoonful of the Giardiniera mix shown below, which can be purchased prepared in the Italian section of many grocery stores, or you can do it yourself ahead of time! Serve with a salad and cold beer!



Giardiniera



Giardiniera is commonly made with sliced serrano peppers, bell peppers, olives, celery, pimentos, carrots, and cauliflower, and sometimes crushed red pepper flakes, all marinated in olive oil and vinegar.

Shrimp Piquant and Perfect Steamed Rice

A number of years ago I used to watch Justin Wilson's Louisiana cooking shows almost as fervently as I did Jeff Smith's The Frugal Gourmet on PBS-owned WTTW in Chicago on Saturdays. I have used many of Justin's recipes over the years, but this shrimp recipe was a keeper and is quick to cook, with some prep time!

You will need to start with a basic roux; 1/4 cup of peanut oil and about 1/4 c of flour. Some people use clarified unsalted butter in place of the oil, or a combination of oil and butter. Heat the oil and add the flour a little at a time, stirring until it is smooth. If you want a thicker roux add more flour. Continue to cook and stir until the roux is a dark brown and add the following, vegetables first:

1 c onions, chopped
1 c green pepper, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 small can tomato sauce
1/2 c water (**if you have the shrimp shells you can boil them and drain this water into the preparation in place of plain water for even more flavor**)
1/2 c white wine
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp bitters
dash salt and black pepper (you can use cayenne for more heat)
1 tsp hot sauce
2-3 lbs of shelled, deveined shrimp
Sliced green onion for garnish

Saute the vegetables in the roux until the onions are clear, stirring regularly. Add the liquids, season and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and add the shrimp. Cook until the shrimp are pink and remove from the heat, covered. Serve this immediately over steamed rice (see below) with your favorite glass of white wine for an awesome feast for the taste buds!

Perfect Steamed Rice

No need to buy a rice cooker! This is a fool proof method and does not make a gooey mess!

3/4 cup long-grain white rice
1/1/4 cup water

If you need more you can double these portions. What you are looking for is to cover the rice in about an inch or water, or one finger digit. Put the dry rice in strainer and rinse until the water runs clear underneath. Drain well and put in a heavy lidded pot with the measured water. Bring to a boil. Continue boiling until most of the surface liquid has evaporated, about 15 minutes. The rice should have small indentations, like craters. At this point turn the heat down as low as you can and cover with the lid another 15 minutes. No need to "fluff" it. Just turn off the heat and let set about 5 minutes before serving.

Drunken Rib-Eye Steak

Since I am on the subject of beef recipes done in the manner of the Frugal Gourmet; i.e., prepared with care and using ordinary ingredients, here is a favorite of mine that is easy to prepare using a good bourbon (come on, I know you have that laying around somewhere!). The steaks will need to marinade at least 4 hours, but will cook quickly.

2-4 rib-eye steaks
2/3 cup bourbon whiskey
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup brown sugar
3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp Liquid Smoke
1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Place steaks in a large resealable plastic bag and pour the marinade over. Push out excess air and seal. Let set in refrigerate a minimum of 4 hours. 8 would be better and overnight best. Discard the marinade and place steaks on a prepared medium high outdoor grill. Grill each side 2-3 minutes for medium, making a quarter turn about half way for great grill marks. Turn once and repeat procedure. Remove and let rest 5 minutes. Serve with baked beans and grilled corn for a genuine Western meal.

Pot Roast And Dill Pickles

This is a recipe I learned years ago from Jeff Smith's The Frugal Gourmet television show of public station WTTW-11 in Chicago. At first glance, thinking about the concept of round roast and pickles you might say "what?". But it works, it really does!

Back in those days when Linda and I were first married we were always looking for ways to stretch our grocery dollars (that hasn't changed!). Jeff Smith's television series in the early 1980's was necessarily not about cooking cheap. It was more about being economical with your food products, use what you had in the house and take care with what you prepare.

Bottom round is an inexpensive cut of beef. Meaning it's lean and not well-marbled. It can be tough and fibrous if not cooked properly. So we began using this recipe to prepare it, learned from Chef Smith:

3 lbs bottom or top round roast
2 tbsp peanut oil
1 large yellow onion. chopped
1 cup chopped mushrooms
salt and black pepper
1 bay leaf
1/4 c low sodium beef stock
3 dill pickles, chopped
1 c sour cream
parsley sprigs

Season the roast with salt and pepper to taste. pour oil in hot pan, swirl to coat and brown the roast. Place the roast in a covered casserole and add all of the remaining ingredients except the sour cream. Cover and simmer for 2 hours, or until the meat is tender. Add the sour cream and simmer for 30 minutes more. Remove meat from pan and let rest for 5 minutes. Slice and and serve with the rich sauce on top. Garnish with the parsley.